Aomawa Shields facts for kids

Aomawa L. Shields is a professor of physics and astronomy at UC Irvine. She studies the climate and how likely it is for small exoplanets to support life. She uses information from telescopes like NASA's Kepler space telescope. Dr. Shields was a TED Fellow in 2015. She loves sharing science with others. She creates fun workshops to help kids feel good about themselves and learn about space. She combines her skills in acting with her work in astronomy.

Early Life and Education

When Aomawa Shields was 12, she watched the movie Space Camp. This movie made her wonder, "Are we alone in the universe?" This question sparked her interest in space.

She went to Phillips Exeter Academy and finished in 1993. While there, she and other students interested in physics would wake up early. They wanted to look at Jupiter's moons through a telescope. After Exeter, Dr. Shields studied at MIT. She earned a degree in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences.

She started a PhD in physics but decided to take a break. She then went to UCLA to study acting. For a while, she worked as an actress. She even had a part in the 2005 movie, Nine Lives.

However, she still felt drawn to science and space. She worked at Caltech helping with the Spitzer Space Telescope. This job led her to try out for a TV show called Wired Science. This show was made by PBS and Wired Magazine, and she became a co-host.

After exploring careers in science TV and even astronaut training, Dr. Shields realized she needed a PhD. After an eleven-year break from college, she went back to school. She attended the University of Washington. She earned her master's degree in 2011 and her PhD in Astronomy and Astrobiology in 2014. Her main teachers were Victoria Meadows and Cecilia Bitz. Her PhD project was about how stars affect the climate of planets.

Career and Research

After getting her PhD, Dr. Shields received a special fellowship from the NSF. This allowed her to work at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. In 2016, she became a professor at UC Irvine.

Dr. Shields's current work focuses on small, Earth-sized planets. She wants to know if these planets, which orbit smaller stars, could support life. She uses computer models that are usually for Earth's climate. She changes these models to study the weather patterns on exoplanets.

Her research looks at many things that affect a planet's climate. These include how far the planet is from its star and the type of star. She also studies the planet's orbit, its atmosphere, and how fast it spins. By understanding all these factors, scientists can find planets that might be able to support life.

Sharing Science with the Public

Dr. Shields has been involved in sharing science with people for a long time. Even before her PhD, she was on Wired Science. She also appeared in the documentary The Universe. More recently, she was featured in an episode of NOVA.

Her postdoctoral grant also helped her create an outreach program. Dr. Shields wanted to encourage girls from different backgrounds to think about astronomy. She used her unique background in theater and science to do this. She created a workshop called "Universe: More than Meets the Eye." This workshop is for middle school girls. It helps them think about how a planet's first look might hide if it can truly support life. At the same time, girls are encouraged to think about themselves and how they see their friends.

Dr. Shields started and leads a program called Rising Stargirls. This program mixes theater, writing, and art with astronomy. It aims to get girls of all backgrounds interested in studying the universe. She founded Rising Stargirls in 2015.

Awards and Honors

• 2022: Kibbe Science Lecturer
• 2017-2020: NASA Habitable Worlds Program Grant
• 2016: Clare Boothe Luce Professorship
• 2016: The Origins Project Postdoctoral Award Lectureship
• 2015: Kavli Fellow
• 2015: TED Fellow
• 2014: NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship
• 2014: UC President's Postdoctoral Program Fellowship (2014-2015)